BEHIND THE SCANDAL / THE PATH TO AN IMPERIAL SCHOLAR (スキャンダルの裏側 / インペリアル・スカラーへの道, Sukyandaru no Uragawa / Inperiaru Sukarā e no Michi?) is the forty-first episode of the SPY x FAMILY TV anime series and the fourth episode of the third season.
Synopsis[]
BEHIND THE SCANDAL[]
Wellman, a giant in the opera world who was scheduled to visit Westalis for an East-West cultural exchange event, becomes embroiled in scandal–including allegations of infidelity and discriminatory remarks. To make matters worse, a death threat is sent to the theater. Under Sylvia’s direction, WISE begins planning countermeasures.
THE PATH TO AN IMPERIAL SCHOLAR[]
One day after school, Anya is asked by Henderson to help carry some documents. Henderson speaks about the mindset required to become an Imperial Scholar, but it seems that none of his words are resonating with Anya at all...[1]
Summary[]
BEHIND THE SCANDAL[]
Ostanian tabloid scandals on Jonas Wellman
Jonas Wellman, a renowned former opera singer in Ostania, plans on traveling to Westalis for a cultural exchange event, and his popularity makes people expect his performance to improve East-West relations. However, tabloids publish scandalous reports about Jonas, accusing him of numerous extramarital affairs and leaks of information through them to the West, organized crime connections, insults to Ostanians, disparaging disabled veterans, and threats toward new castmates. Jonas gets swarmed by reporters about these stories, which he declares are untrue.
Sylvia orders the rookie to stop the scandals from reaching Westalis
As this happens, Sylvia Sherwood and her WISE agents work to ensure the news of Wellman's scandals does not reach Westalis. When a naive rookie refuses out of his dislike for Wellman, she intimidates him into complying. While they work, the rookie says Wellman's scandals will ruin East-West relations, citing the tabloids as proof. Sylvia questions his beliefs, explaining that those tabloids were mouthpieces for the National Unity Party during the war and that the people claiming to be the sources of the stories are all suspicious. She instructs him to act based on objective reasoning, reminding him that lives may hinge on any little scrap of information. The agents soon learn of a death threat sent to Wellman, which they decide to investigate. As she leaves for the Westalis embassy to make plans, Sylvia feels exhausted from training the recruits and recalls her time training Loid, making her wonder if she was also being soft back then.
Ostanian tabloid scandals on an official from the National Unity Party
Later, Wellman's scandals are rebutted by another tabloid, which reveals the scandals as part of a smear campaign conducted by the National Unity Party. The rookie arrogantly changes his stance on Jonas, prompting Sylvia to hit him in irritation. Despite this new development, Sylvia is still concerned about the death threat. While watching live coverage of protests outside Wellman's office, she notices a suspicious guard nearby. She calls a kebab store in the area and orders its owner, Kebab, to watch the guard. With Twilight out of commission after collapsing, Sylvia, the agent, and the rookie move out to intercept the guard.
As Wellman and his associates attempt to leave the building through its back door, Kebab distracts them with a false order, stalling the guard's approach. The WISE agents arrive shortly after, and Sylvia strikes the guard's hand with her belt, making him drop his gun. The man reveals a knife as he tells Sylvia not to get in the way of his justice, but she knocks him out by quickly striking his jaw. While Kebab makes an excuse and apologizes to the guards, Sylvia and the other agents run off with their suspect.
Sylvia tells the rookie to find the answers himself
On the day of his departure, Jonas leaves for Westalis in high spirits after being cleared of his scandals, while Sylvia's shoulder aches from the day before. Returning to their safe house, Sylvia and the agents discuss the guard, Pance Karmer, who sent Wellman's death threat. A former soldier who bounced from job to job after the war and got multiple arrests for assault, Karmer's experiences in the war made him obsessed with "punishing the corrupt" for the sake of the people. Sylvia instructs the agents to take this as a warning for having too much pride in having fought for peace. Learning from this experience, the rookie vows never to be deceived by his ignorance, only to be shocked to learn that Wellman's affairs may have been true, as it is rumored that he is defecting to Westalis to escape the husband of one of his mistresses, who is an organized crime boss. When the confused rookie demands answers, Sylvia tells him to find them himself.
THE PATH TO AN IMPERIAL SCHOLAR[]
Anya helps Henry carry his things
After classes at Eden Academy, Anya learns that the school bus will be late, making her wait in boredom. Henry Henderson passes by and asks her to help him carry some school supplies to his office, convincing her with the promise of tea cakes afterward. As they walk back to school, Henderson asks Anya if she is having fun at school. Anya replies that she is doing okay, but quickly asks if she will get a Tonitrus for not having fun. Henderson assures her that she will not and that she can rely on him if she is having problems at school.
Anya shows Henry her handkerchiefs
Concerned for Anya's well-being after she recently received her second Tonitrus, Henderson is shocked when Anya says she is fine and feels embarrassed for thinking he needed to show teacherly concern for her. When she hears these thoughts, Anya is shocked about forgetting the incident and becomes worried about not getting her sweets. As such, Anya claims she is worried and tells Henderson that she now carries many handkerchiefs with her. Henderson tries to instruct Anya that Donna Schlag's intent is to keep students in line as they grow accustomed to school, only for Anya to completely misunderstand him.
Henry is displeased with Anya's disrespect for the Stars
Henderson tells Anya that students must be disciplined at all times, which makes Anya ask if she will get a Stella for doing so. Understanding her desire to become an Imperial Scholar, Henderson asks what her reasons and goals are. Anya thinks of Loid's mission, but says she thinks the Stellas look cool. Henderson is shocked by Anya's shallowness and reminds her that she said she wanted to be like the school's headmaster during the admissions interview. Anya does not remember saying this and says she only cares about getting all the Stars quickly, to the teacher's displeasure.
Anya and Henry look at the portraits
Henderson takes Anya to the hall of fame of Eden's most outstanding alumni, all of whom were Imperial Scholars. He instructs her not to disrespect the Imperial Scholars and Stella, since most of the students who became Scholars spilled blood, sweat, and tears to become great people and achieve big things over a long period of time. Anya realizes that she too must work hard one day at a time, like with Loid's mission, and asks Henderson if he thinks she can become an Imperial Scholar. Henderson says he cannot respond to that, as every student must decide that for themselves, and there is no need to rush.
Loid thinks Anya got another Tonitrus
Once they arrive at Henderson's office, Anya receives her tea cakes as promised. Henderson offers to review some problems Anya got wrong on a quiz together, but she leaves shortly after eating to watch Spy Wars at home. Afterward, an exhausted Henderson thinks to himself how education is never easy. When Anya arrives home, she sees her parents worn out from their secret jobs and, after reading their minds, realizes how hard they work. With newfound resolve, Anya asks Loid to study with her, much to his surprise. However, Loid mistakes Anya's sudden enthusiasm as her getting another Tonitrus and faints, with Yor worriedly catching him.
Characters[]
Anime Notes[]
- After Sylvia notifies Kebab of Pance Karmer's presence, Kebab is given an additional line as he realizes his orders are to keep an eye on the man and stand by.
- In the manga, Karmer is caught by the WISE rookie after being defeated by Sylvia, with the senior WISE Agent carrying his legs. In the anime, the agents' positions are reversed.
- Additional scenes of Anya being left behind at the bus stop are shown.
- Many of the portraits from Chapter 64 are included in the hall of Imperial Scholar portraits. These include LiSA, Akira Kawashima, Kumi Sasaki, Shihei Lin (editor of the SPY x FAMILY manga), the Japanese voice cast for the Forgers in the anime: Saori Hayami (Yor), Takuya Eguchi (Loid), and Atsumi Tanezaki (Anya), Gen Hoshino, the singer of "Comedy," and Satoshi Fujiwara, the lead singer of Official Hige Dandism.
- The portraits of idols Manatsu Akimoto and Yūka Sugai, which appeared in Volume 10, do not appear in the episode.
- Similar to the chapter, Donovan Desmond's portrait also appears in the hall.
- As Loid faints at the end of the episode, Yor has additional lines as she promises to make dinner and calls out to him.
Gallery[]
Episode Previews[]
Keyframes[]
Illustrations[]
(for Kenichirō Matsuda)
References[]
- ↑ Episode 41 on the official website